A Change of Pace
by Kanais
Summary: The Doctor sighed. It was a shame, really. You pick a nice spot rife with aliens, super-powered people, aliens posing as super-powered people... help them all find a place in the world, and then a human or two blunders in and messes things up.


Whoverse: pre-'Rose' (2005)  
Heroes-verse: episode 'Unexpected' from Season 1, with a few alterations to the canon, but nothing major.

Location: Claude's rooftop

Peter used telekinesis on the stick that Claude was hitting him with. Claude chuckled. "Well done, mate. Maybe you won't explode after all." Unnoticed by them, the Hatian and HRG were sneaking up behind them with tasers. HRG managed to tase Claude in the chest, but Peter focused his power and stopped the second one streaking towards him. He tossed Claude over the side of the building and dove down after him, catching him before he hit the pavement.

Location: Claude's apartment

Peter tried to help Claude to the sofa, but Claude was so weakened that he slipped to the floor. "You okay?" asked Peter. Claude was clutching his chest, clearly in some amount of pain.

"I can't... it hit my heart.." he gasped. Claude focused his hand on the right side of his chest.

Peter looked confused. "That's not your heart.." he began, but Claude interrupted him.

"Yes, it is." he insisted, opening his eyes and staring at Peter.

In spite of the concern he had for Claude, he became a bit frustrated. "Look, I'm a nurse, and I passed all my exams. That's _not_ where your heart is." Claude grabbed Peter's hand and put it on the right side of his chest, wincing. "Feel that?" Claude shut his eyes again as Peter's eyes widened and he stared at Claude in disbelief.

"What the hell... this isn't right. Did you have surgery or something, before?" He drew his hand back abruptly as it started glowing with a warm, golden light, afraid that his powers were going into overdrive, but when he moved his hand, he realized it was Claude who was glowing. "What's going on? Claude?" Peter stood up, quite worried and ready to call an ambulance if needed.

Suddenly, Claude's face and hands started to glow brighter with the strange light, and his features became blurred. Peter was so shocked that he stumbled backwards, lost his balance, and fell to the floor, all the while staring at this new person who looked nothing like the gruff, unkempt man he somewhat knew (or rather, didn't know at all), but was dressed just as Claude had been a moment before. This man had thick brown hair, a bit floppy, a thin face, and was much skinner than Claude. He opened his eyes a bit, then sat up and started examining himself while talking as if to thin air. "Oh great, I figured this would happen, but I was hoping it wouldn't be now. It's a rather undignified way to go, all things considered, and I quite liked my last shape. It worked for New York. A lot better than its predecessor, I mean. And come on, tasers? Even the hospital was better than this, and I figured it couldn't get much stranger."

Peter's jaw dropped. He hastily picked himself up off the floor and ran to the window. He was out of sight in seconds. The man watched him go, and then stood up himself, brushing himself off. "Hoo, bit of a headrush there.. now, I've got to track him down before he blabs about this. Don't need the world knowing I'm here.. well, mostly UNIT. Or the CIA. Or the alien watchers. But they find out things fast. And Claude won't do for a name anymore, now that I don't look like myself." The Doctor sighed. It was a shame, really. You pick a nice spot, rife with aliens, super-powered people, aliens posing as super-powered people... settle down a bit in the biggest area, help them all find a place in the world, and then a human or two blunders in and messes everything up.

By now he had made his way outside to where an inconspicuous blue police box was sitting on the corner, just in front of the apartment he had used as Claude. There's a reason the flat looked old and un-lived in, but he could never answer that question to anyone. He slid a key into the lock on the TARDIS and stepped inside. "Hey there, old girl. I'm back. New face, same me." he announced to the bright console. And now to track Peter. The Doctor flipped a switch and the monitor showed a moving blip on the map of NYC. He waited, and soon the blip settled on one location. Petrelli Manor. The Doctor smiled and set the TARDIS coordinates.

Once he had made sure that he had landed in the right time frame, the Doctor exited the TARDIS to find himself in a spare room. He walked out, making sure that he was unseen, and entered a sitting room. He was drawn to some pictures sitting on the fireplace mantle, one in particular. It appeared to be one of Peter with a little girl standing next to him. "Ah, looks like I found the right place." he said quietly. "Scanners usually work but I prefer checking it out myself." He stepped back and examined the room with a sweep of his eyes. "Nice house, too."

He noticed a little girl walk into the room; the same one from the picture, but a bit older. Probably around the age of seven. She spotted him immediately. "Can I help you, mister?" she said in an adorable little voice.

The Doctor smiled at her kindly. "Yeah, actually. I'm looking for Peter Petrelli."

The little girl brightened at these words. "Uncle Peter! You know him?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda a friend of his. We're both in this secret club. It's for people who can do really cool stuff. And it's a surprise that I'm here."

Claire gave him a smile. "Cool! Didn't know there was a club. Uncle Peter can do lotsa stuff. And I can, too." she confided in him.

The Doctor crouched down to about eye level with Claire. Seven year-olds can be so adorable, he thought. "Watch this." he told her. He wiggled his empty hand at her, reached around to behind her ear, and pulled out a shiny quarter. Her eyes lit up as he handed it to her. "Cool trick, eh? Can you do that?"

Claire grinned. "Yeah, but lots of people can do that. Uncle Peter told me I have a trick that nobody else can do. And he used lots of big words, so I bet it's something really important."

The Doctor was intrigued. "Oh? And what's that?"

"I regenerate."

END.

Author's Note: I apparently wrote this in June 2007. Lololololol. It's completely cracky but I thought it was awesome at the time.  
PS: My brain was weird with fic back then (still is - I don't even write fic) so I transcribed it as to how I read it now, not the nearly unintelligible nonsense that is written on my two journal pages. :P


End file.
